


A Strange Affinity

by Hartrin



Category: Danny Phantom, Gravity Falls
Genre: 13 year old twins, 15 year old Danny, Crossover, Danny on the run, from the GIW
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-14 08:43:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9171568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hartrin/pseuds/Hartrin
Summary: Danny finds himself drawn to the small town of Gravity Falls in his attempt to evade the GIW's pursuit. The town seems like the perfect place to hide and when he lands himself a place to stay in the small tourist trap on the outskirts of town, it seems like Danny may finally be able to settle down for a while in the seemingly normal Gravity Falls, though the town may not be as normal as Danny first thought. At least the quirky family he'd be staying with seemed normal enough, right?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Danny Phantom and Gravity Falls crossover. I haven't watched either show in a while though so please forgive any inconsistencies (feel free to point them out). Kudos and comments are appreciated. I hope you enjoy reading!

Danny walked hastily towards the rustic looking diner down the street. He hadn't eaten anything at all that day and he was completely starving, he could almost feel his stomach grumbling at the thought of food. He pushed open the door and slumped down in the nearest booth.

He couldn't explain it, something about the little town in Oregon had drawn him to it. He felt safe there, like he belonged somehow. He knew it made no sense and he couldn't explain it, but he felt like he had some sort of strange affinity with the place. He hadn't stayed in the same place for more than two weeks ever since the Guys In White found out his identity. Luckily, they decided keeping his true identity under wraps was the best way to handle the situation, but that didn't change the fact that every government agent within a hundred miles was searching for him. A place like Gravity Falls seemed like the perfect place for a fugitive to hide; an incompetent police force, practically prehistoric technology, very little exposure to the media, and not to mention way off the grid location wise. It was exactly the type of place he was looking for, the strange pull he felt towards it was just a plus.

He was pulled from his reverie by the high, nasally voice of the waitress. "Well hello stranger, what can I get you?" The woman asked. Danny noted her slightly strange appearance. She had bright blue eye shadow and a mountain of grey hair. One eye was closed shut. She looked like the poster lady for 'I have more cats than friends' magazine. "Uh... Pancakes and coffee please." He answered. "Coming right up." She said, pulling her closed eyelid up and down in a winking gesture. Danny didn't know whether he should cringe or laugh in response.

"Do you know if there's any hotels around here?" Danny asked after the waitress had brought him his coffee. "Hmm... A hotel?" Her expression looked deep in thought. "Well there was... But not anymore." She said ominously. Danny's eyebrow rose in confusion and curiosity, but thought it in his best interest not to ask too many questions. Small towns like this one always had their secrets. "Hmm... That's too bad." He muttered mostly to himself. Guess he'd have to sleep on a bench in a park like the hobo he is. He sighed dejectedly and started sipping at his cup of coffee. "Well, if you need anything else, just call." She said cheerfully, winking again before turning and walking back to the kitchen. Danny shrugged, gulping down the rest of his coffee and finishing his plate of pancakes. On his way out the door, he noticed the rack of brochures sitting, nearly untouched, by the exit. He plucked one from the row and unfolded it, scanning its contents in interest. If he was gonna be here for a while, he might as well check out the sights

******

Dipper flipped through the stacks of cash in boredom. Most kids his age would probably be in awe at the large wads of cash he was responsible for at only 13 years old, but he honestly couldn't care less. After working for his great uncle the previous summer, this was nothing new to him. His head shot up as he heard a familiar bell ring near the entrance of the shop. A boy, probably a year or two older than him, sauntered in casually. He wore dark blue jeans, a white t-shirt with some red symbol on it, and a black hoodie zipped up halfway. Dipper thought he looked normal other than the hood he had pulled over his raven black hair and the large duffel bag he has with him as well. It looked big enough to contain everything the guy owned.

Danny, of course, was oblivious to the shady and possibly dangerous impression he was giving to the young cashier who eyed him suspiciously from across the gift shop. The hoodie and the suspicious way he carried himself could be attributed to his many attempts to keep a low profile.

Danny looked around curiously, eyeing the attractions with interest. He knew this place was probably all bogus, just another tourist trap to try and squeeze as much cash out of any given tourist it could, but Danny couldn't help the nostalgic feeling that washed over him when he saw all the merchandise they were selling in the gift shop. His parents had always loved stuff like this, especially if it had to do with the paranormal. 

As Danny marveled over the gift shop merchandise, he was completely unaware of the two 13 year old's formulating a plan of attack behind them. 

"Mabel, we can't just jump him! He hasn't done anything yet!" Dipper whispered furiously. "I know bro bro, but look how shady he looks." Mabel gestured to the hooded figure standing faced away from them them. "Yeah but-" Dipper began, before being interrupted by Mabel's war cry. "ATTACK!" She screamed, launching herself towards the figure. "Mabel! Wait!" Dipper called. Mabel latched onto the back of the figure in a death grip. Dipper heard the body let out a Yelp of surprise, and saw him tumble forwards onto the ground. "Victory!" Mabel cried, sitting on the unmoving back of her victim. "Mabel! You can't just attack people! Even if they are suspicious!" Dipper said, hopping over the counter and racing towards the two. They both froze as they heard a groan escape from the boy on the ground. "O-oh my gosh! Are you okay!? W-we're so sorry!" Dipper fumbled to help the stranger up. 

"I-it's okay." Danny mumbled, rubbing his forehead tentatively. "Though I am curious as to why you just jumped me." He asked in confusion. "Well, you looked super suspicious! We had the right to protect our merchandise as shopkeepers!" Mabel responded. "Mabel!" Dipper protested. "But I am sorry I jumped you. I couldn't tell from behind how cute you were!" She said excitedly. "Wha-" Danny sputtered. "Mabel! You can't flirt with people you just tackled!" Dipper explained in frustration. "Of course I can Dip-Dop, I'm just that charming!" She laughed. 

"L-look man, we're really sorry! We didn't mean any harm!" Dipper apologized. Danny sighed, he couldn't really stay mad at someone who apologized that earnestly. "It's fine, don't worry about it. Besides, it's not really your fault. I have to admit, I was skulking around pretty suspiciously." Danny answered. He knew it wasn't a stretch to say he looked a little shady. He'd had to adopt the demeanor to keep from being found, and it was a pretty hard habit to break. 

"Here, you can have this keychain! On the house!" Mabel said cheerfully, holding up a small UFO shaped keychain. "What was that!?" He heard a gruff voice call from somewhere beyond the 'employees only' door. A moment later, the door slammed open and a man stormed into the gift shop. "Kids! What did I tell you about giving stuff away for free!" The man lectured. Dipper recognized him from the Mr. Mystery bobble heads he'd seen before. "But Grunkle Stan, Mabel tackled this guy! We're trying to apologize." Dipper explained. "Tackled!? He's not gonna sue us is he!?" He whispered to them. "N-no I'm not looking for trouble!" Danny sputtered, the last thing he'd need was to get the authorities involved.  
"I-I don't plan on suing anyone!" He explained frantically. "Well that's good then, are you here for the tour then." The man asked, clapping a hand in Danny's back encouragingly. "Yeah, I g-guess. I was just going to see the sights and try to find a place to sleep. I heard this place doesn't have a hotel." Danny answered, trying to glean more information on the strange town. He noticed the twins look away guiltily. "Hehe... Y-yeah, freak fire burned it down a few weeks ago." Dipper explained unsurely. "Yeah! It's not like a giant flaming monster thing exploded and burned the whole place down!" Mabel added nervously. "Mabel!" Dipper jabbed her in her side. "Dipper!" She laughed, elbowing him in the stomach. He wheezed before looking back up at Danny. "Well, it's true... Old place burned down a little while ago." The man agreed. "Hey I have an idea! How about you stay here!" Mabel proposed excitedly. "Mabel! We don't even know this guys name!" Dipper reasoned. "Please Grunkle Stan!?" She asked. "Can you pay rent." The man asked him. "Y-yeah." Danny answered, a little out of sorts by how fast the conversation had progressed. Maybe he wouldn't have to worry about finding a place to stay after all. "Then it's settled! Kids, set up that room with the weird carpet for... What was your name again?" He asked. "Uhh... It's Danny." He answered nervously. "Great! Set up the room for Danny then." He added before heading outside to welcome the next tour bus of customers.


	2. Chapter 2

Danny followed the twins through the back and into the house part of the mystery shack. "I'm Mabel, by the way, and this dork here is Dipper." She introduced, staring at Danny with sparkling eyes. "U-uh nice to meet you. And thanks for offering me a room. I'd probably have to sleep in the woods if I couldn't find a place." He said half jokingly. "That's... Probably not a good idea." Dipper said as he continued showing Danny around the house. "Why not?" Danny asked. "Well-" he began. "Unless you want to get attacked by gnomes, you should probably stay away from the woods!" Mabel interrupted. "Gnomes?" Danny asked in confusion. "It's not just gnomes!" Dipper defended. "There's lots of other monsters in the forest!" He added. "Wait, what?" Danny asked. 

Monsters? Were they serious, or was this some kind of ploy to attract tourists. Though Danny had to admit that this place didn't really feel the same as any other places he'd been. "Anyway!" Mabel said. "What are you doing in Gravity Falls? Not a lot of people stay here!" She asked. "Uh... Just travelling." He answered vaguely. "Hmm... Mysterious..." She smiled excitedly. "What? No! Not mysterious at all! Just a normal guy here! Totally Normal." He defended, realizing only after that it probably only made him more suspicious. He was right. Dipper was definitely suspicious.

This guy started out seeming shady, then slightly normal, then totally weird and mysterious. He knew something was off about this guy, he could feel it. He'd had too many run ins with supernatural entities to not be able to tell when something was going on. 

Both of their inner monologues ended as they reached the door to the ‘secret’ room. "Here we are!" Mabel exclaimed, gesturing to the door enthusiastically. "Thanks." Danny said, a small smile tugging at his lips. 

After the twins listed off a couple things he needed to know about the shack (mostly just warnings about soft spots in the hardwood and other old house things), and told him they'd bring in a few things he'd need later, Danny thanked them again and went to check out the room. It wasn't very spacious but it was big enough. He sighed and slumped down against the wall. His exhaustion was finally catching up with him, and he couldn't keep his eyes open a second longer before he started drifting off to sleep. 

****** 

It was about an hour later that Dipper and Mabel came back to Danny's room with the promised supplies. Mabel's arms were full of bed sheets and pillows as she knocked excitedly on the door. Dipper stood behind her, slightly breathless, as he gave the mattress he was lugging behind him another tug. A second passed with no answer. Mabel turned to Dipper, and with a shrug, pushes the door open. "Hey Danny, we've got your stuff!" She said as she walked into the room hesitantly. 

Dipper heard his sister let out an adoring "aww" noise as she entered the room."he's asleep." She whispered. Dipper peeked around her mountain of bed sheets and noticed the sleeping form that lay against the wall. "Well that looks uncomfortable." Dipper noted quietly. "Says the one who spends more time sleeping at a desk than in his bed." Mabel quipped. Dipper rolled his eyes and pulled the remainder of the mattress into the room as quietly as he could. "Should we wake him up?" Dipper asked. "No, he's probably to tired. He didn't even wake up to my knocking." Mabel answered. "Maybe we should just pull him over to the bed." Mabel proposed. "What? No. That's weird." Dipper answered. He knew he'd feel totally weirded out if he knew someone he barely knew moved him in his sleep. "Come on it's fine." Mabel said, grabbing one of Danny's arms and tugging him towards the bed. "Mabel! You'll wake him." Dipper grabbed her arm. They both froze when they heard a noise come from the slumbering figure. They both turned to him, relieved when they saw he was still asleep. "Oh!" Mabel said, bedding over to pick something up that had fallen from Danny's pocket. "It's a wallet." She noted. "Huh?" Dipper bent down to see what she held. "It must have fallen out of his pocket." Dipper mused, taking the black wallet from her and opening it. "Dipper, don't snoop!" She chided jokingly. "Hey, if this guys staying in our house, we have a right to know whether he's a murderer or not." Dipper defended. "And how would a wallet tell us if he's a murderer. I don't think they carry around killer club cards to get discounts or anything." She joked. Dipper ignored her and started scanning through the contents in curiosity. He noticed the large wad of cash, more cash than anyone his age should probably have. He also noticed the student ID. "Daniel Fenton, age 15." Dipper read aloud. "Daniel Fenton..." Mabel repeated. They were startled by another noise from the sleeping Danny in front of them. They had almost completely forgot he was there. "Come on" Dipper said, slipping the walled back into Danny's pocket. "Let's go" he added, pushing himself off the ground and leaving the room. Mabel followed, turning to glance at Danny once more before closing the door behind her

******

 

It was almost 3:00 in the morning when Danny was roused from his slumber. He sat up and peered around the dark room skeptically, searching for the reason he had been woken. He rolled his neck and floated up from his uncomfortable sleeping position against the wall. It took a few moments for his eyes to completely adjust to the darkness around him (his ghostly senses definitely helped speed up the process), but when they did, he noticed the mattress and blanket laid out a few feet away from him. He took one look around the room and still found nothing. Though the urge to crawl under the covers and snuggle into the comfy mattress (way more comfortable than anything he’d slept on for a long time) was compelling, the desire to explore the shack more thoroughly was stronger. Something about this place, this entire town for that matter, just seemed off to him even though it looked so normal at first glance. Not exactly in a bad way, but it still bothered him. 

“I’m going going ghost” he whispered, letting the two glowing rings travel up and down his body, effectively transforming him into his alter ego. He turned intangible and invisible, slipping through the door and out into the open. After checking to make sure no one was around to see him, he dropped his invisibility and ventured deeper.

He flew around the shack and observed it with a more curious but observant gaze. He flew into the kitchen and took notice of everything in the room. The place had a very rustic feel to it, though others might call it dingy, and Danny could appreciate it. As he took in everything, he found his gaze drawn to the large window placed just behind the kitchen table. As his eyes locked onto the forest beyond the window pane, he felt something within him begin to beat rapidly. His core thrummed as he drew closer to the window, placing his gloved hand against the glass. He wanted to go there. He wanted to go into the forest. He needed to go there. 

He began phasing his hands through the glass then a sharp intake of breath pulled him from his daze. His enhanced ghostly senses picked up the almost unnoticeable gasp instantly and he spun around to face his opposer.

Danny’s fluorescent green eyes widened as he met equally enlarged brown eyes. Dipper stood before him, wide eyed and slack jawed. He seemed to snap out of whatever daze he was in and began to speak, reaching a hand forward slightly, but before he could Danny flew straight through the ceiling.


	3. Chapter 3

Dipper flipped the page and began scanning across the next. He wasn’t all that interested in the text, but he really had nothing better to do. Well, sleep was probably a better thing to do, but he couldn’t do that even if he tried. He sighed and adjusted his position on the bed, earning him a better view of the page. After a few more minutes of boredom, he heard a strange, almost futuristic whooshing sound from downstairs. He would have missed it if the shack hadn’t been so eerily quiet. He waited a few more seconds before he heard another noise. He got up as quietly as he could and approached his sister’s bed. “Mabel” he whispered, jostling her a little when she didn’t respond. “Mabel, i heard something downstairs.” he whispered urgently. “Ugh, it was probably just Grunkle Stan, go back to sleep.” she groaned. “It didn’t sound like him though, it sounded like something taking flight!” he explained. When she remained unresponsive, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He slipped out of the room silently and tip toed down the hall. He peered down the stairs cautiously, flinching slightly when he heard some rustling coming from the kitchen. He crept down the stairs and made his way towards the sound stealthily. Whatever he was expecting, it definitely wasn’t what he found. 

Standing, no floating, in the middle of the kitchen was a glowing figure with white hair and glowing green eyes. He hovered with his hands pressed up against the glass. Dipper let out a small, involuntary gasp at what he saw, earning the attention of the specter before him. He stood frozen for a few second before finally getting his muddled thoughts together. Just as he began forming the words on his tongue, the kid disappeared through the ceiling. Dipper stood in stunned silence, staring at the ceiling he’d just flown through.

****** 

Dipper awoke to the sizzle of a frying pan and the smell of pancakes. He sat up lazily and took notice of her surroundings. “Morning sleepy head.” Mabel's voice greeted him from her place the the stove. “Mabel…?” Dipper asked groggily. 

Why was he sleeping in the… oh yeah. The memories of the strange person he’d seen earlier rushed through his head. He remembered how he’d ran outside and searched all around the surrounding forest for the strange figure only to find nothing. Not even a trace that the strange person had even been there. After that he’d searched the journals endlessly which was about as helpful as searching the forest had been. He’d stayed up all night searching the journals. He must have fallen asleep at some point. “Mabel! He shot up from his seat. “You gotta hear about what i saw last night! You know when I woke you up in the middle of the night because of the noises i heard?! Well, I went downstairs to check it out and-” Dipper began to relay his tale when he noticed Danny step into the room. “Morning guys.” Danny greeted a little nervously. Dipper couldn’t help but notice how Danny purposely avoided eye contact with him. “Morning Danny! You want some pancakes?” Mabel asked. “Sure, thanks.” Danny answered, walking over to the table and taking a seat. Pancakes two days in a row wasn’t exactly ideal, but Danny couldn’t care less about his diet. As long as he had food in his stomach, he wouldn’t complain. Danny eyed Dipper warily as he whispered something to his sister. “I’ll tell you the rest later” Danny’s enhanced hearing picked up his voice from across the room. ‘He was probably telling her about what happened last night and had decided to be secretive about it’ Danny figured. He could understand, he wouldn’t want some random person thinking he was nuts or something. Danny was just hoping Dipper didn’t suspect him of being involved.

‘There was definitely something off about Danny’ Dipper thought as he took a seat at the table. Not only was he acting all suspicious and nervous, it just couldn't be a coincidence that some strange creature (that was nowhere to be found in the journal) showed up exactly the same day that Danny arrived did. 

Dipper eyed Danny from across the table and decided it would be best to take the direct approach. “Hey, Danny” Dipper said. Danny jumped slightly when Dipper pulled him from his wandering thoughts and turned to him. “Y-yeah?” he asked hesitantly. “Did you… hear or see anything strange last night?” he asked. Danny's eyes widened slightly and he averted his gaze. “W-what do you mean?” he asked cautiously. Danny wasn’t expecting him to be so straightforward. He figured Dipper was going to be all secretive about the whole thing, he seemed like the type.

“Well… any weird noises or lights or… figures or anything like that?” Dipper asked. Oh, Danny definitely knew something. He didn’t expect him to answer truthfully though. “Y-you know, i think I did hear something.” he answered hesitantly. Dipper leaned forward in anticipation. “It was like a scratching sound outside my room, maybe a raccoon or something.” Danny shrugged nonchalantly. He’d learned it was better to give them something than deny everything during the time he’d been hiding his powers. He thought the raccoon thing was a good cover.

Dipper deflated slightly, but only slightly. Danny was lying, he had to be! Well, maybe not lying, but he was definitely hiding something! Dipper nodded “okay, thanks”. “Sorry Danny.” Mabel apologized, plopping a few pancaked down on his and Dippers plates. “Dippers pretty paranoid when it comes to all this supernatural stuff.” she said teasingly. Dipper rolled his eyes, he couldn’t exactly deny the allegation, but he liked to think of it as being a little overly cautious, not paranoid. “It’s okay, my parents are exactly the same.” Danny said, feeling a little nostalgic at the thought of his parents. “Really? What about?” she asked. Dipper perked up slightly at the thought of hearing a little more about Danny’s background, maybe he could find something else about him. 

Danny tensed, suddenly realizing he may have revealed too much. He relaxed slightly though when he looked at Mabel’s excited face. She looked genuinely interested, what could be the harm in telling them a little about his family. It's not like he’d be revealing his whole life's story or anything.

“Ghosts” he muttered. “Huh?” Dipper asked curiously. “Ghosts.” Danny said more clearly. “Ghosts?” Dipper asked. “Why ghosts, of all things?” he asked earnestly. Danny was a little relieved they weren’t judging him instantly. “Well, they were kind of ghost hunters.” he explained nervously. There was a pause before a smile stretched its was across Dippers face. “Ghost hunters! Really?! That’s so cool!” he said excitedly. “Yeah!” Mabel agreed. “You really think so?” Danny asked a little bashfully. “Most of the people around us though they were totally crazy.” Danny laughed. His parents would totally love these kids. Just as Dipper was about to ask another question, Stan's gravelly voice interrupted. “HEY KIDS!” He called. “We’re opening in five!” he added. Dipper grumbled and stood up from his seat. “Sorry Danny, guess Dipper’s fanboy freak out will have to wait.” Mabel laughed. “I’m not-” he began to object before Danny interjected. “S’okay Dipper. You can interrogate me later, though there isn’t much to tell about the whole thing. I'm gonna go explore the town.” Danny smiled and stood up from his seat. “Okay, thanks.” Dipper said a little embarrassed, his opinion about the older teen may have changed slightly with the new knowledge of Danny's lineage, but he definitely wasn’t being biased or anything. He was still suspicious and determined to find out exactly what was going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comments are really appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

Danny stepped outside and made his way to the back of the shack. After checking to make sure no one was around, he changed into his ghostly alter ego and flew into the woods. 

The scenery was definitely worth straying off the beaten path. The woods had an almost magic feel to them. He flew through the forest, observing each pine tree with a curious eye. He was beginning to wonder why Dipper was so adamant about him exploring the woods when he heard a stick snap from behind him. He spun around and flew a few meters back instinctively, readying himself in a defensive stance. After seeing what had alerted him, he relaxed slightly and flew forward. What stood before him was barely a foot tall. “Hey!” the tiny man called up to him. “I’ve never seen you around here, but this is gnome territory! No weird glowing humans aloud!” he declared in anger. 

“Gnome? So this was a gnome? Dipper was telling the truth.” Danny squinted down and flew closer to observe him. “Hey, didn’t you hear what i said!” the gnome exclaimed. “Yeah, sorry, but i’m not a human.” Danny said. “Not a human? Than what are you?” he asked. “I’m a ghost!” Danny answered matter-of-factly ."Well, a half ghost at least." He added as an afterthought. “A ghost? I’ve never seen a ghost around here. Shouldn’t you be off haunting some decrepit convenient store or some spooky mansion?” the gnome asked skeptically. Danny huffed and rolled his eyes. “I’m not that type of ghost.” he stated in annoyance. “Yeah? Well you don’t look like any of the ghosts i’ve seen before. What kind of ghost are you then?” he asked. “Well… i’m not some creepy haunting ghost who’s too hung up on past mistakes to move on! And i'm sure i can do way more stuff than any of the ghosts you're thinking of!” Danny declared. He was used to most people not understanding the way his type of ghosts worked. The ghosts from the ghost zone were less known outside of Amity Park compared to all the ghosts people saw in horror movies and made up scary stories about. 

“Oh yeah? Like what?” the little gnome asked smugly. “Hmm… well i can do this!” Danny flew forward and picked him up by the back of his shirt. “Hey! Put me down!” the gnome commanded, kicking around in the air furiously. “And i can do this!" Danny laughed, turning the himself invisible with the gnome still in hand. “Okay, okay! I get it!” the gnome exclaimed in frustration. Danny smiled in satisfaction and placed the gnome back onto the ground. “I guess you can hang around here if you want, just don't mess with my gnomes!” he ordered. “Duly noted.” Danny smiled and nodded. “Im Danny Phantom, by the way.” he introduced. “Jeff, king of the gnomes!” Jeff introduced. “If there’s anything you want to know about the forest, i’m the man to ask!” he declared proudly. “Cool, well if you need anything, i'll be around here... somewhere.” Danny said unsurely. With that, he turned and flew of deeper into the woods. 

******** 

“I’ll see you later Mabel!” Dipper called to his sister as he headed out of the shack. He stared down at his notebook and added another note to his current page. “Ghost hunter parents?” He scribbled down. He was currently investigating their new resident and his possible connection to the mysterious creature/person he’d seen the night before. 

After making the long walk into town, he made his way into the Gravity Falls Library. The place was small and musty, but at least it had a computer. After finding the old (barely functioning) relic, he sat down in front of it and got to work. It took a little while before he finally found something about Danny’s parents. It was an old website dedicated to their ghost hunting career, outlining their ‘exploits’ and new ghost hunting technology and weapons they were developing. Dipper scrolled through the photos with a skeptical eye. These didn’t look like any of the ghosts he’d ever seen. They were huge, for one, and most of them didn’t even look human. He continued to look through the photo’s, beginning to suspect this was all some sort of elaborate hoax, when he finally came upon a slightly blurry photo titled; “The Ghost Menace of Amity Park”. Dipper froze. 

“The boy from last night…” Dipper muttered. The same snow white hair and glowing green eyes. He looked down at the title and immediately typed the name into the search bar. His screen was flooded with images and articles featuring the young ghost. Dipper was astonished. Why would a ghost from Illinois end up all the way over here? What was it doing here? He noted that most of the photos and articles showed him saving people and protecting them from other ghosts. There were a few, however, that told of his less heroic deeds. Robbing a bank for one. Attacking the mayor. There were a lot of ‘Hero or Villain?’ articles, but from what Dipper could gather, this ghost didn’t seem to be looking for trouble. 

After Dipper wrote down any useful information about the ghost boy he could, he finally came across the names the ghostly hero went by; ghost boy, Inviso-Bill, and Danny Phantom. “Danny?” he wondered aloud. How coincidental could it be that human Danny and ghost Danny, both from Amity Park, end up in Gravity Falls on the exact same day. Were they working together? Was the ghost chasing Danny? Whatever was going on, it couldn’t be anything good. What was their connection? 

Dipper decided it was about time he focused more about their mysterious new house guest and less on their mysterious new ghost, considering he had found just about all the useful information the internet had to offer. Dipper returned to the search bar and typed in all the information he had gotten on Danny; ‘Danny Fenton, 15, Amity Park’. As soon as the page loaded, Dipper stared at the screen in a stunned silence. A list of headlines and articles detailing the teenagers missing status and his sudden disappearance. Pictures and posters titled ‘Missing Child’, Descriptions, and information on his disappearance and where he was last seen, videos of interviews of local citizens, and an array of other related things.

Suddenly, everything seemed to make sense. Why Danny had acted so shady when he first came to the mystery shack; he was trying to go unnoticed, why he was so nervous when Mabel called him mysterious; he didn't want anyone to be curious about him, and finally why he was so hesistant about sharing details about himself and his family; he didn't wants anyone to figure out anything about his past and origins. 

Even though everything was starting to make sense, he still couldn't help the confusion he felt towards Danny's situation. Why was he missing. He obviously hadn't been kidnapped or murdered or anything. Why was he running away. He hadn't committed a crime and his parents, although a little eccentric, seemed like they honestly cared about him. He even saw a video interview of both his parents tearing up while talking about him. Danny didn't seem like the reckless rebellious type who would just abandon such a loving family without a second thought, so why?

Dipper slumped down in his seat dejectedly. Though he had finally found some answers, it seemed like he just had more questions than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since the Christmas break is ending and exams are coming up for me, I'll probably be updating less frequently (I still plan to continue this fic though). Thanks for reading, comments and kudos are appreciated! ^_^


	5. Chapter 5

When Danny got back to the Mystery Shack, he was completely exhausted. When Dipper warned him about the forest, it definitely wasn’t a joke. The woods were full of strange creatures who, most of which, were a little less than welcoming. 

He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t met a few nice creatures though, they were still weird, but they weren’t outright hostile. He’d only met a few, but that was enough to tire anyone out. As he turned to greet Dipper at the cash and ask about the woods in more detail, he stopped short when he noticed it wasn’t Dipper at the register, but an unfamiliar redhead in a green flannel. 

“uhhh…” he drolled out. The girl looked up from her magazine and locked eyes with him. “Hey dude, you need to buy something?” she asked casually. “Uh.. no, sorry. I was just looking for Dipper.” Danny answered a little awkwardly. “Oh sorry, he left a while ago.” she answered. “O-oh, okay.” he acknowledged. 

“Im Wendy.” she introduced herself. “So how d’you know Dipper?” she asked. “Oh, I’m Danny.” he smiled. “Im staying at the shack.” he answered. “Oh, cool. So are you family or something?” she asked. “No, i’m just renting a room since there’s no hotels around here.” he explained. “Oh yeah, that old place burned down not too long ago.” She said, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. “Yeah, I heard.” Danny said sarcastically. She laughed in response. “Don't worry man, the people in this town are a little ominous and secretive by nature. Kinda comes with living in a small town, y'know?” She smiled lazily. “Yeah, Amity was like that too.” He laughed as he remembered how strange their town had seemed to others. Most people didn't even believe it, and the townspeople liked to keep it that way. “Amity?” She asked. Danny froze, realizing his mistake. “Y-yeah, it's where I lived before.” He answered a little nervously. Wendy caught on and decided not to push the subject. “Cool man, as far as I know, my family's never even left Gravity Falls. All the Corduroy’s were born and raised in Gravity Falls.” She said. “Cool.” Danny answered back. 

Just as he was about to carry on the conversation, the ringing of the bell over the door in the gift shop interrupted his thoughts. “Oh hey Dipper!” Wendy greeted him. “H-hey Wendy.” Dipper answered nervously, his attention seemingly anywhere but on Danny. “I just met Danny, why didn't you introduce me? He's pretty cool, dude.” She said half jokingly. Danny laughed a thanks at that. “O-oh guess I never got the chance. Have you seen Mabel anywhere?” She asked a little frantically. Wendy's face creased slightly in worry, it didn't go unnoticed by her. “Yeah… I think I saw her with waddles a little while ago.” She answered. “Okay, t-thanks!” He said before racing into the shack. “Huh? I wonder what's up with him?” Wendy said worriedly. Danny stared at the door he had just walked through, he had a bit of an inkling of what was bothering Dipper, and he was pretty sure it was something to do with him. 

******

Dipper raced up the stairs towards where the giggles and oinks were coming from. When he arrived at the attic he slammed the door open, panting heavily. He'd just ran the whole way to the shack from the library and could barely keep standing. 

“Mabel!” He gasped, moving to sit down and catch his breath on his bed. “Dipper? What's wrong? And why are you so sweaty?” She asked. “I just ran all the way here from the library.” He explained. “Oh yeah, did you find anything about Danny or whatever you saw last night?” She asked. “Y-yeah… I did find something.” He said hesitantly. She narrowed her eyes at him and twisted her mouth in thought. “Was it really that bad?” She asked, she knew her brother well enough to know when something was wrong. “Yeah, it kind of was.” He answered unsurely. “Well what was it?” She asked. “Well… I figured out who and what the thing I saw last night was!” He exclaimed. “What was it then?” She asked. 

“Okay… This is weird because it really didn't look like what it was… I mean it was completely tangible and it didn't even look like that… I mean I don't-” he began to ramble. “Dipper! English please!” Mabel said in frustration. “Right, sorry. Anyway, I think it was… A ghost.” He answered. “A ghost?” She said thoughtfully. Why was a ghost wandering around the Mystery Shack. “Yeah, but not just any ghost! It was Danny Phantom!” He exclaimed. “Danny who?” She asked. “Well he's a ghost superhero from a town called Amity Park, which just so happens to be the same place where Danny came from which is definitely suspicious, but I thought he was just a hoax or something so I didn't recognize him but it turns out he's real” he exclaimed, pausing to catch his breath. “Woah. So why’s he here then?” Mabel asked. “That's what I'm trying to figure out! Him and Danny both are from Amity park, not to mention Danny's parents are both ghost hunters, and they just so happen to end up in Gravity Falls on the same day! It can't be a coincidence!” He declared. Mabel nodded as she took in the information. 

“Okay bro bro, I got that, but why does it have you so worried?” She asked in confusion. Dipper stilled, remembering why he was so freaked out in the first place. “Yeah, that's not really the part that had me so freaked out… See, I was researching Danny-” he paused in thought. “Yeah?” She asked, beckoning him to continue. "So I searched up his name and stuff and it turns out he's kinda- missing?” He said unsurely. “Wait… Missing? What do you mean by missing?” She asked in confusion. “I mean missing missing! Like missing posters, face on a milk carton, Amber alert kind of missing!” He exclaimed almost a little too loudly. Mabel looked stunned, understandably so, at receiving the new information. 

“O-okay… So what do we do?” She asked hesitantly. “I-I don't know.” Dipper answered in frustration. “And why exactly is Danny missing? Did he commit a crime? He doesn't really seem like the runaway type or the go on a spontaneous adventure across the country type either.” She wondered. “That's exactly what I'm wondering. He isn't wanted by the police or anything and his family life doesn't seem all that bad… I just don't understand.” Dipper said dejectedly. 

“It's okay Dipper, I'm sure we’ll figure it out! Mystery twins!?” She extended her fist encouragingly. Dipper rolled his eyes with a smile on his face. “Mystery twins.” He bumped his fist to hers. Mabel was right, no matter what, he was going to solve the mystery and figure out just exactly what was going on with those two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, hope you liked the chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapters a little shorter, sorry. I've been busy with school stuff (2 essays and a presentation to be exact) so I haven't had much time to write. Still hope you all enjoy this chapter! ^_^

Danny walked into the living room and slumped down on the couch. He was debating whether he should venture into town or just hang around at the shack and relax. He wanted to ask Dipper more about the forest, but he was a little worried about the strange way Dipper was acting when he'd gotten back to the shack. He weighed his options and finally decided to just ask Dipper more about the forest. Just as he was pushing himself up off the couch, he heard the familiar footsteps padding down the stairs. “Hey, Dipper!” Danny called out to him. The footsteps stopped and he saw Dipper and Mabel come to meet him hesitantly. “H-hey Danny.” He greeted awkwardly. “I wanted to ask you more about the-” Danny was about to try and glean more information about the forest and its peculiar occupants, but Dipper cut him off before he could continue. “A-actually, we have something we have to do! Sorry Danny, see you later!” Dipper rambled, grabbing his twins hand and escaping as fast as he could. Danny's furrowed his brow and contemplated Dippers strange actions. It didn't take long before he decided that whatever it was, it was probably about him, and if it was, it meant his identity could possibly be compromised. Whatever was up with them, Danny needed to be sure it wasn't about him. And with that decision, he slipped into invisibility and trailed after the siblings. 

****** 

“Gee Dipper, I'm sure Danny didn't find that suspicious at aaaallll.” She said sarcastically. “Ugh, just come on!” He grumbled. “Where are we even going!?” She asked. “We’re going back to the library, we need to find out everything we can about ghosts!” Dipper explained, Dragging his sister off to the golf cart. “Wait, ghosts? Why do we need to do research? Isn't there something in the journals?” Mabel asked. 

“Yeah, but this ghost is different. He was completely tangible when I first saw him! Not to mention he wasn't just haunting some decrepit old building or some spooky old mansion. He came all the way here from Illinois! Normal ghosts don't travel halfway across the country Mabel!” He explained. “Huh… Okay? I don't think we’ll find anything about this in the library though, Old Man McGucket already ate half the books!” She reasoned. 

“I know, that's why we need to get back to the Fenton Works website and find out as much as we can about these ghos-” Dipper began before a loud, bellowing voice interrupted him mid-sentence. 

“Humans!” The large skull faced ghost boomed. “I am Skulker, the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter!” He introduced himself pridefully. “Wh-wha-” Dipper flustered. “I am here for the ghost child!” He said. He glanced down at his wrist locator and looked up with a smug grin. 

“FACE ME WELP!” He yelled. Dippers face twisted in confusion. He and Mabel both looked around the surrounding area, trying to see who or what the flaming haired ghost was addressing. It was only when a disembodied voice answered from seemingly nowhere. “Oh man, of all the people to find me, it just had to be the ghost zones most annoying hunter!” The voice said. Dipper whipped his head around in the direction of the voice just in time to see a figure materialize out of thin air, a smug smile adorning the young ghosts face.

******

Danny wasn't exactly happy he'd been tracked down at last, he knew staying in the same place for too long wouldn't bode well with him, but he'd be lying if he said he hadn't been missing the fights he'd had with the ghosts before he had to go on the run. Seeing Skulker there, looking and sounding exactly the same as he had when Danny's life had still been filled with his family and friends, he couldn't help the excited feeling he had welling up in his chest. It had been so long since he'd had a good fight (not counting the Guys In White’s one sided games of ecto-gun tag). He wasn't all too happy it was happening in front of the Pines twins, but it's not like they would know it was him. Besides, judging from their conversation, they were already a little too close for his liking. 

“Welp!” Skulker greeted smugly. “You can run all you want, but you can't hide from me!” Skulker teased as he shot of a rocket from his wrist. “Ha!” Danny laughed, dodging the attack with ease. “You think I would bother running from you! I've seen scarier chihuahuas!” Danny laughed. Skulker snarled, launching another attack. “Then who are you running from, ghost child? Did your friends and family finally betray you? Did your town finally turn on you?” He asked, obviously trying to entice the halfa into a fight. 

Danny didn't take that comment too well. The fight didn't last much longer after that, ending with Skulker flying off with a promise of his return.

He sighed in relief and stretched his back with satisfaction. It was only when he heard the small noise from behind him did he remember his initial reason for being out there. As he turned to face the twins, he was met with a grappling hook pointed straight in his face. 

“Hey ghost, we have a few questions for you.”


	7. Chapter 7

Dipper faced the ghost with a strong and determined expression. The emotions on his face showed true, but he didn't reveal the underlying anxiousness and the slight tinge of fear he felt at facing the ghost. He knew what he was up against could probably blow him into oblivion without lifting a finger, but that didn't change the fact that he needed answers from this ghost, and he wouldn't be intimidated into backing off. 

The ghost looked a little stunned at his abruptness, staring down at the grappling hook Mabel had pointed in his direction with slight amusement. He smiled reassuringly and made a gesture for her to lower the ‘weapon’. “It's okay, you don't need that thing. I'm not here to cause harm.” He explained. “Yeah? Well how are we supposed to know if you're telling the truth? You kind of just totally spanked that ghosts butt!” Mabel questioned him. The ghost laughed a little at her last comment and floated closer. “Well I guess you don't know whether I'm telling you the truth or not-” the ghost was right in front of them now. “But even if I was lying, there's no way you could beat me with that thing.” He smiled, moving his hand to pass through the grappling hook harmlessly. “See.” He said, smiling. Dipper narrowed his eyes. He was still suspicious of the ghost, but he didn't think he was lying. “Okay fine.” Dipper said while Mabel lowered the grappling hook. 

“Good.” The ghost nodded in satisfaction. “Now I understand you have some questions. I can't answer them all, but I'll answer as many as I can.” He said. “Fine.” Dipper said. “But you better not lie.” He added, taking a notepad out of his pocket. “First off, what are you exactly?” He asked. “Uhh… I'm a ghost… I thought that would have been pretty obvious by now.” The ghost boy said sarcastically. Dipper rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know you're a ghost, but you're not a normal ghost! What kind of ghost are you?!” He asked in frustration. “Well you got that right, I'm not just your average ghost, my mind isn't like any of the other ghosts you've run into, well other than Skulker of course.” He answered. “Different how?” Dipper asked, urging the ghost to go into more detail. “Well, all the ghosts you're thinking of are a completely different species than my kind of ghosts. You're thinking of the echo’s… Like echoes of the dead, lingering spirits, held back by powerful grudges. My kind, on the other hand, aren't just echo’s! We’re ectoplasmic balls of post human consciousness. We’re the manifestation of a human’s emotions when they die, given life, or afterlife I guess, in the ghost zone after our human selves die.” Danny explained. “O-okay… And what is the ghost zone?” Dipper asked, scribbling notes down furiously onto his notepad. “The ghost zone is the dimension where all the ghosts live, they can come to earth through portals.” The ghost explained. “Okay and… Why do people become your type of ghost when they die? Why don't all of us become your type of ghosts?” He asked, trying to further understand the strange species. “Well… That's kind of hard to explain, but… I guess it's because of our obsession. Ghosts are basically raw emotion in its purest form, when a person dies, they have to have a strong emotional tie to the human world… And that strong emotional tie is what becomes their obsession.” He explained to the best of his abilities. As far as he knew, that's what ghosts were and that's how they became ghosts, but he couldn't be positive it was absolutely correct. It was only the best of what he could gather from his parents and other ghosts, along with his own theories. “Okay, so what's your obsession?” Dipper asked. “Ah… That's…” Danny stuttered. Dipper looked at him expectantly. Danny sighed in defeat and gave his answer; “it's protection.” He mumbles. “Protection?” Mabel asked. “Yeah, the protection of humans.” He sighed. “Oh! So you're like a good ghost!” Mabel said. “Yeah, I guess.” Danny reached a hand behind his neck nervously. “Okay, so if you're a good ghost, why aren't you protecting your town? According to the websites I found, Danny Phantom, resident ghost hero of Amity Park, hasn't shown his face in months.” Dipper asked skeptically. Danny sighed dejectedly, trying to come up with and answer that didn't give too much away. “There were… Uhhh… It was… It was complicated. I was forced to leave due to… Extenuating circumstances.” He explained vaguely. “Um, that's not exactly the answer I was looking for.” Dipper said accusingly. “Well I said I wasn't going to answer all your questions.” Danny defended. “Fine, then what do you have to do with Danny Fenton? And why is he reported missing?” Dipper asked seriously. He noticed Danny’s demeanor changed suddenly. He became nervous and anxious, and his amusement became caution. “I-I don't have time to answer all these questions! I have nothing to do with that human!” He exclaimed suspiciously before flying away.

The twins stared at the sky where he disappeared and then turned to look at each other. “Well that wasn't suspicious at aaaaalllll.” Mabel said sarcastically. “Hmm…” Dipper nodded. 

“I think it's about time we ask Danny some questions.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope my explanation of what ghosts are was okay. Hope you all like the chapter.


End file.
